Toilet paper dispenser



All@ 14, 1956 H. E. MocANTs TOILET PAPER DISPENSER Filed May 7. 1953 ),llliJ lment for the .dispensing of ltissue.

United States Patent() TOlLET PAPER .DLSIENSJEB Hugh fMcCants, xallas, lex.,assignorf.to Reserv-A-Roll ,"Company, Inc.

designed to Lbe either recessed :in a 4wall or suspended lthereon lbut in any case, is adaptedttoeontaim :insuperimposed relationship, alplurality of rolls offtoiletl-tissue, -the lowest Aroll .beingtheonlyone accessible .to theuuser :but which is vlocked against other than -rotative move- Not until the ,tissue .is depleted from the .roll spindlezisiitpossib'lewtoremove the 'latter from the machine -but in doing so, provision v.is .made ffor automatic replacement of the .depleted roll by afull Aroll.

xOther objects will become manifest yasthe .description proceeds, vtaken .in connection with :the accompanying .drawing wherein:

.Figure l1 .is a front perspective view .ofaftoilet tissue .dispenser constructed according ,Lto theV invention, `with .portions fbroken away.

zFigure 2 vis a viewthereof in verticalsectiqn,.showing a form of mounting .in a wall vlre cess,fand

.Eigure i3 is a .perspective View i of a rollespindle, pense Continuing with a more detailed description ofrthe drawing, `reference numeral ildenotes. generallyithe cas- Ling.car;housing of the dispenser-which `includestheside xwalls 11, ytop `1-2 .-and .bottom 1'3. tWhiie `-the housing 4may -be aflixed 1directly ,to a Wall, :it :is Jpreferredfthatfit bev partially .concealed 'in Aa `recess :in .fthe .wall and )the drawing sozillustratest-his manner of.mounting. ,'floithis end, the housing has ttop and bottom ibrackets L14 -aiixedvto :its walls 151Vwhichtprovidemeans-:for securementI thereof to timbers f15.. and .16..of-.aroorn -wa'llly L7.;

The housing A10 is elongated yto iaccomrnodateany desiredinumber of toilet tissue rolls 18,1 hence,qtheahous -ing .will be hereinafter refer-red vto :from time -to.

as the roll .-magazine. 'lhefrollsrl `are.depositedmtu'ie at a time into the magazine through an opening 19 at its top and whiehiis closed by adoor--Ztlflhingedalong one ede@ of the Qpeningtat 2 1.

Each roll of tissue 13 has a spindleuZZ, en gaxchnd of whichis a pintle 23, receivable in a vertialihannel v24 ,defined by relatively spaced, parallel railsw25 .apair ,of ,which rare affixed to the inner surface of each ,side

Pjptented Aug. 14, 1956 ice Y.receive-.screws 30, by `which the frame 2;7 is,he1d.secu re :in .the opening 19. A lock 31 is rprovided V-for the ,door

and",a substantially triangular' plate `32 is attached tto thefinnensurfaceofthe door and provided with a plu- 5 ralityofzholes 33 toreceive pintles 23,0f .empty rollers 22, thus l,to .serve as .a .storage for such rollers as they are removed from the lower ordischargeopeningof the .rnagazine.

The discharge opening 3.4 of'.the magazineds embraced zbya Lframe 35 which isjsecured to the .magazine V bvmeans ...of'screws 36, .passingfthrough apertures 357 rof the Vframe finto @threaded'holes 3 8 in .gussets :39, aflixed ytothe mag-avzine at ythe -four lcorners Aof vthe .discharge Aopening :3 4. The frame '3S-has, opposing recesses .40 to `pass .the pintles 23.01 fthe rollers 22 astheemptyones are remoyedfrom the magazine.

VReturning -to .the vchannels 2 4 it will tbe observed lin Figure@ that .the `lower end of eachehannelppensonto an inclined track 41. The'lowestportions of,thesetracks are nearest the discharge opening :34 and are-ishaped to 'form .afrecess 42 into .which y`drop the pintlesof rollers ,as vthegtissue vvrollstmoye vby gravity down the :inclined .tracks 41. A Arail .43 is disposed .above and :in `parfallelism yvithleach track41 -to preclude upward .displacen ment; vof fthe roll ffr-om theftracks.

when. :the tissue-roll is .disposed with its spindle ,resting in fthe. recesses .42, .it .is in operative y'and accessible ,po sitionior dispensing. Howeve the tissue rollcannot withdrawn :bodily l through lthe: cdischarge opening ...due primarily to thefpaPerwound-on theroll which :is'brought up against; a lcrossnnernber .48 when effort A,is Amade ,to ,lift ,-thefroll vertically to raisegits spindleain opposing `,vertical channels 45. Also, if .the .spindle `is ibacked up by ,inward :pressure on .-thetissue roll, the ylatter will engage ,thenext highest roll. Hence, until all otthe ,paper :has ,been vremoved `from .the .spindle will it 'b e ,possible .to Uremove the-latterfrom Lthe .machine Vto make waydor ,anyunused-rolltwhich takes its place ;in .dispensing .posi- Ation automatically.

@gft-rack 4 l.s inclinedftoward, the recess.42,.as pointed :Qllt hoventhen .extends-vertically at.45, thence horizon- `tally as at .4 6 To removeanlemptyspindle, itislifted jup-yvardly f ,through the ,vertical -porti'on 445 1of ,the l channel `,until the p int1es-213 thereof are fbroughtnp against ithe E deieet-e`d,su-rfaea .of ac am .plate L4f7, one .of which :is :affixed/t9. eachend Aof-` the. crossfrnember 4.8 ,whichA extends .horizontally l across the discharge .opening 3.4 at zits top and is rotatable about .pivots .49.. 'The .cam plates .47 fr 'Qah movable in av sl'ot .bmadeq'ointlyl inI the filari-ges 44and-44a delining the .top and .rear Jsides, .of-the @horizZQUtalfand yertical-.tracksA and v.45., respectively. r`lhe slots b are reyealed between the `partsof .the :ilnges-,44

and ftlatshown in crosssection ;in Eig y2. :Each cam plate-47 has an inwardlyextending -arn`r50 which isrheld c ,ovgn `by a coil spring 51,. attached at .one Yend to .the .arm and :at its other end to a bracket 52 .aiiixed 4to the linnerffe offthetsidewall 11 of themagazine. 'lherfree ends of :the arms extend .through .slots yil?, iin .theouter ,rails '25 of 4the channels I2.4 and iinto the `channels `in `the pathof pintles ;23 of rollers l22. These arms thusintercept all but the A--iirst ltissue .roll entering .-the magazine. Iheinrst `roll assumes its dispensing positionand .cannot be removed fromfthe. machineforfreasons -earlierpointed nd;th e succeeding rolls are-,prevented from Lmoving ,dpyv ardly, being :blocked-by theiiirstfrollrand therestra ingarmsil.

the rolls resting on the ends of arms 50. This upward pressure on the cam plates 47 will raise the arms 50 so that the pintles 23 of the rollers may pass, whereupon the next succeeding roll will move downward into dispensing position, during which the springs 51 will return the arms 50 into position blocking the next highest roll. Action of the springs 51, combined with the weight of the column of tissue rolls will cause return of the cam plates 47 to their original positions with a snap action tending to thrust the empty roller out of the machine, its pintles passing through slots 40 in opposite sides of the frame 35, previously mentioned.

It is evident from the foregoing that lossessustained by rest room owners because of pilfering of toilet tissues is reduced to a minimum and however small these losses may be, the annoyance occasioned by such pilfering is considerable but is also obviated by the invention.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for dispensing toilet tissue from rolls, a vertical magazine containing a column of super-imposed tissue rolls, said magazine having a lateral filler opening adjacent its top and a lateral discharge opening adjacent its bottom, guide channels lon opposing walls of said magazine having open lower ends, a spindle for each tissue roll having pintles engaging in said channels, an inclined track onto which said pintles are deposited from the open lower ends of said channels for movement toward said discharge opening, said tracks each hav-ing a recess for intercepting said pintles to hold the lowermost of said rolls in dispensing position in relation to said discharge opening, a cross-member pivotally disposed above said discharge opening, a cam plate aixed to each end of said cross-member, each having an arm thereof extending operatively into one of said channels for sustaining all but the lowermost of said rolls, spring means holding the arms of said cam plates in operative position, opposed vertical and horizontal channels communicating with said track recesses for the rearward, upward and forward passage of empty spindles from said recesses said cam plate lying partially within said vertical and horizontal channels for engagement by the pintles of said empty spindles during their removal for displacing said arms to release another tissue roll for movement to dispensing position.

2. In a machine for dispensing toilet tissue from rolls, a vertical magazine adapted to contain a column of superimposed rolls of tissue, said magazine having a ller opening adjacent its top and a dispensing opening adjacent its bottom, a lockable closure for said filler opening, a spindle for each roll having pintles, vertical channels on opposed sides of said magazine communicating with said pintles, inclined tracks under said channels extending downwardly, upwardly and forwardly and having recesses at their lowest points for receiving and retaining said pintles to dispose a tissue roll in dispensing position in said dispensing opening, means to prohibit bodily removal of an undepleted tissue roll from dispensing position, a crossmember pivoted in said magazine above said dispensing opening, spring biased means axed to each end of said cross-member and normally disposed in said channels to intercept pintles of the next highest roll in said magazine, the pintles of empty spindles being adapted for upward and forward displacement in said tracks for removal of said spindle from said magazine, said spring v biased means being engaged and elevated by the pintles I of an empty spindle being removed from said recesses and tracks to release said next highest tissue roll for movement to dispensing position.

3. In a machine for dispens-ing toilet tissue from rolls, a vertical magazine adapted to contain a column of superimposed rolls of tissue, said magazine having a filler opening adjacent its top having a lockable closure and a dispensing opening adjacent its bottom, channels in Iopposed walls of said magazine, a spindle for each tissue roll having pintles movable in said channels, opposed and inclined tracks below said channels onto which said pintles are deposited, said tracks extending forwardly to define a recess adjacent the front of said magazine to dispose a tissue roll in dispensing position, said tracks further extending upwardly and forwardly for the upward and forward displacement of pintles of empty spindles during their removal from said cabinet, means for preventing removal of a roll of tissue from said dispensing position through said ydispensing opening, a cam plate pivoted adjacent each channel having a first member normally sustaining said column of tissue rolls in said magazine and a second member engageable by the pintles of an empty spindle during its removal from said dispensing position to actuate said first member to dispose a full roll in said dispensing position.

4. In a machine for dispensing material from rolls, a vertical magazine adapted to contain a column of said rolls and having a filler opening adjacent its top and a dispensing opening adjacent its bottom, a lockable closure for said ller opening, a spindle for each roll having pintles, vertical channels on opposing walls of said magazine for receiving said pintles, tracks below said channels for advancing said rolls singly to dispensing position in said dispensing opening, means supporting the spindle of a roll in dispensing position, means precluding removal of a spindle from dispensing position until the roll is depleted therefrom, said tracks being disposed for upward and outward movement of the pintles of empty spindles, spring biased means pivotally mounted adjacent each of said channels, a :first member integral with said spring biased means for sustaining said column of rolls while a roll is in dispensing position, a second member integral with said spring biased means engageable by the pintles of an empty spindle during its removal from sa-id dispensing position to `displace said roll sustaining means to release another roll for movement to said dispensing position.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which the roll column sustaining means consists of a plate having an arm spring biased to engage under the pintle of the spindle of the lowest roll in the column and provided with a cam surface against which the pintles of an empty spindle is engaged during the removal from the machine to dislodge said arm to release said lowest roll.

6. The structure of claim 4, said tracks each having a recess for the reception of the pintle of a spindle in roll dispensing position and a vertical and a horizontal channel in communication with said recess through which the pintles are passed to remove said spindle from said machine and to actuate said roll sustaining means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,057,973 Merritt Apr. l, 1913 2,299,301 Britt et al. Oct. 20, 1942 2,407,971 Black Sept. 24, 1946 2,627,382 Borton Feb. 3, 1953 

